Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9022

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Median pay sits 43% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in wor…
  2. 2. Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and powe…
  3. 3. Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met
  4. 4. Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment
  5. 5. Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair
  6. 6. Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates
  7. 7. Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes
  8. 8. Remove completed workpieces from equipment or work tables, using hand tools, and place workpieces in containers
  9. 9. Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools
  10. 10. Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools
  11. 11. Select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specifie…
  12. 12. Record product and processing data on specified forms

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand: O*NET ranks Quality Control Analysis first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9022 - lead skill Quality Control Analysis at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Quality Control Analysis 3.4
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.3
  3. 3. Operation and Control 3.1
  4. 4. Equipment Maintenance 3.1
  5. 5. Repairing 3.0
  6. 6. Active Listening 2.9
  7. 7. Speaking 2.9
  8. 8. Critical Thinking 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.6
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.6
  3. 3. English Language 3.1
  4. 4. Mathematics 2.8
  5. 5. Education and Training 2.7
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.6
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-43%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $42,660/yr
$43K
National median
↓ -21%
Growth 2024-2034
800
Annual openings
10,510
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

1. Minnesota $51,930
2. Rhode Island $51,630
3. Maryland $48,390
4. New Hampshire $47,920
5. Montana $50,460
6. Connecticut $48,670
7. Kansas $48,410
8. Vermont $56,850
9. Virginia $48,830
10. New Jersey $47,840

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  2. 2. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  5. 5. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  6. 6. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand sits 43% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $42,660.

Employment Projections expect -21% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $51,930. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand pay-rank #78 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand lands at #78, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand pays 43% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9022

Minnesota · top state for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

$52K published median

Rhode Island · #2 state pay

$52K · behind Minnesota

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · $123K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · $62K

Compare Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand is pay-rank #78 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood ($43K), Food Batchmakers ($42K), Print Binding and Finishing Workers ($42K), Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders ($43K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do grinding and polishing workers, hand do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. Leading ones include: Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in wor…; Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and powe…; Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met; Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for grinding and polishing workers, hand? ▼
For SOC 51-9022, O*NET importance scores lead with Quality Control Analysis (3.4), Operations Monitoring (3.3), Operation and Control (3.1), Equipment Maintenance (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $42,660 as the national median for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. The published 10th-90th range is $33,480 to $60,810. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand is -21%. Projected annual openings: about 800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand? ▼
Minnesota ($51,930), Rhode Island ($51,630), Maryland ($48,390) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics